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The Trump administration has removed CNN from its scheduled role as the television pool representative for the White House press corps on Monday, breaking with a decades-old arrangement under which major US television networks rotate responsibility for presidential pool coverage.
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The move comes days after President Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were being barred from the White House.
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Reporters from the three organisations were subsequently turned away from the White House complex, escalating a dispute over press access and the administration’s relationship with critical news organisations.
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CNN had been scheduled to provide the television pool for Monday and was also expected to accompany Trump to New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly.
September 21, (THEWILL) – US President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated its confrontation with the White House press corps by removing CNN from its scheduled assignment as the television pool representative for Monday.
The decision breaks with a longstanding system under which the major US television networks rotate responsibility for providing pool coverage of the president and distributing the footage to the wider press corps.
CNN had been scheduled to serve as the television pool network on Monday and was also assigned to provide pool coverage for Trump’s trip to New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly this week.
However, a White House press schedule circulated on Sunday night did not list any television network as the primary TV pool for Monday.
Hearst was listed as the “secondary” television crew in Washington, while Real America’s Voice, was listed as the “secondary” crew for the New York trip.
The development came after Trump on Sunday night reiterated his decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
“Trump bans CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from White House”, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, alongside an article about the dispute.
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CNN’s Scheduled Pool Role
Under a longstanding arrangement, ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News share television pool responsibilities at the White House.
The networks take turns supplying crews to record the president’s activities and provide live footage to one another and to other news organisations. The system is particularly important during presidential movements and events where physical space is limited and it would be impractical for every news organisation to deploy its own television crew.
When a network serves as the primary pool, its crew generally includes a camera operator, an audio technician and a producer or reporter.
While the technical crew records the president’s activities, the producer or reporter coordinates the live feed, takes notes and asks questions during presidential engagements. The footage is then made available to other members of the press corps, including local television stations, newspaper websites and international news organisations.
The arrangement has remained largely unchanged for decades and has become a central part of how the White House press corps covers the president.
CNN’s removal therefore has implications beyond the network itself, as other news organisations depend on the shared pool footage for their coverage of presidential events.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
